Israelis Arrest 15 After South Lebanon Attacks

Responding to a flurry of recent guerrilla attacks against them, Israeli soldiers Wednesday searched houses and schools and arrested at least 15 civilians in southern Lebanon villages, Israeli army and U.N. sources reported.

Beirut radio reported a much larger action, saying that 25 students were killed or wounded at one school, where the Israelis were alleged to have used helicopter gunships. However, spokesmen for both the Israeli army and the U.N. Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) discounted that report.

The action was all in the area east of Tyre, a Shia Muslim stronghold. In mid-December, it was the site of what was then described as Israel’s largest anti-guerrilla operation in southern Lebanon in months.

The area is not included in the territory Israeli occupation forces are to leave in the first stage of their planned withdrawal from southern Lebanon, which is supposed to be completed by Feb. 18. According to the three-phase pullout plan announced in mid-January, Tyre would not be evacuated until the final Israeli withdrawal to the international border, probably next summer.

Local Shia Muslims have stepped up guerrilla attacks on Israeli troops as the first-stage withdrawal deadline approaches, and 12 Israelis were wounded Tuesday in three bomb attacks east of the port city.

The worst occurred near the Borj el Chimali refugee camp, two miles east of Tyre. An Israeli convoy was stopped by a roadside bomb explosion, local sources said, and a white Mercedes-Benz auto was then driven into the midst of the convoy and blown up, injuring 10 soldiers.

This led to reports on Lebanon’s state radio that more than 100 Israeli soldiers were killed or wounded in the bombing, but the report was branded as false by Israeli military sources.

Afterwards, Israeli troops began searching the area, including the Jabal Amel school nearby, which was still being searched Wednesday. An Israeli army spokesman said it was suspected that arms were hidden in the school, but he denied that anyone was arrested or hurt there.

The spokesman added that one person was arrested Wednesday morning in the Borj el Chimali camp.

Other, unconfirmed reports had at least 11 civilians injured by Israelis in the aftermath of the car bombing, including four with gunshot wounds. These reports said 40 people were arrested in the area. It was not clear whether any of those said to have been injured or arrested were from the school.

Meanwhile, during a surprise visit Wednesday to an Israeli army post south of Sidon, Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres said the flurry of guerrilla attacks near Tyre will not alter his country’s withdrawal plans.